Look what we spotted on our Facebook page – someone tagged JNC in a pic of a car sporting a fake series 1 JNC sticker! The picture hails from Indonesia, so we don’t have any solid info on the counterfeit piece but the most popular theory here at JNC is that an underground Indonesian crime syndicate is making millions by printing and selling these phony stickers to unsuspecting nostalgic enthusiasts in dark alleys and abandoned garages.
If you think a friend or family member might have fallen victim to Fake Sticker Syndrome (FSS), send a picture of the suspected sticker to feedback(at)japanesenostalgiccar(dot)com and our team of experts will pour over every detail, and notify you of the diagnosis. If the worst case scenario turns out to be true, seek help immediately. With proper treatment (available here) even the most severe cases are curable.
This week’s Event Horizon is a little late due to our site hiccup earlier in the week, but there are a number of different events available to lucky Aussies and Southern Californians. The picture above is from the 2008 All Japan Day show.
If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at feedback(at)japanesenostalgiccar(dot)com
The Bug and the Beetle was a 1972 propaganda film by GM meant to whip workers into shape by stoking fear of foreign competition. How can you take a day off work when Germans and Japanese are pouring their cars onto our docks by the boatload? Franz and Hiro aren’t resting. If we don’t sell these Pontiacs, we’ll have to fire you, which means you’ll have no money with which to buy Pontiacs!
Of course, within a decade Japanese automakers would begin construction on US factories staffed with American workers. Times sure have changed, particularly at 5:50 when the company man voiceover says, “We cannot hope for the government to save us.” But if this film has taught us one thing, it’s that those minty fresh 1200s and 240Zs look mighty tempting. Then again, so do those Venturas. And those awesome Sony alarm clocks with the flip tiles!
So as you probably have noticed, the JNC site experienced some technical difficulties this week. Our webhosting service claims it was a software issue with the blog. We think it was a spam attack, as virtually nothing of importance changed between our normal operation and the sudden spike in server CPU usage that caused the freakout. In any case, we’re re-opening the blog and letting the hounds loose with fingers crossed.
But since we’re at the mercy of the Webhosting Gods, we’ve taken some of the precautions they’ve recommended. You’ll notice that you need to enter a captcha confirmation before commenting. This should be a one-time thing unless you switch computers or browsers. Let us know if this isn’t working for you, or if you see any other odd behavior/broken links/UFOs. Sorry for the inconvenience!
The Volk TE37V is an exciting development because it shows that companies like Rays Wheels are keen on making new products for the nostalgic scene. However, the JNC staff is still torn between whether these are proper wheels for old school rides. (more…)
Sorry to start the week with a bit of sad news. The South Canterbury Car Club of Timaru, New Zealand lost a valued and beloved member last week. David “Brownie” Brown was the driver of a 1976 Datsun Cherry 100A, an ex-Trans-Am 1600 from imported from the US. In fact, Brown was driving his “pride and joy” in a vintage race at the Timaru International Motor Raceway when he left the track and struck a tire wall, causing his death. Club members and family remembered him as a generous man eager to help fellow enthusiasts with their cars and “an unofficial ambassador for Datsun, choosing that brand ahead of all others.” His family plans to restored the damaged Cherry and donate it to a museum.
More photos of Mr. Brown’s car after the jump. (more…)
Moody pictures of abandoned towns and factories make for interesting eye candy. Rarely do you find any content that’s in Japan, but here’s some from Michael John Grist. His latest photographic explorations are of abandoned Japanese mining towns. Eerie. His blog takes up the story: “Grist also explores and photographs the ruins of Japan, known as ‘haikyo’, including abandoned theme parks, military installations, and ghost towns. Over a period of 6 years he has visited over 60 ruins locations throughout Japan”. You can find more of his cool stuff here.
You know the drill. Bad guys with a militia’s worth of weapons, explosives lobbed from a truck, hapless black and whites led to the slaughter. It could only be another episode of Seibu Keisatsu. This time, a small twist. Instead of the customary Nissan Cedrics it’s mostly yonmeri Skylines that make up the patrol car fodder, and Detective Tatsu rather than Sergeant Daimon saves the day.
We know many JNC readers are already aware of ABC Hobby’s awesome Genetic R/C lineup. But for those that aren’t, these are extremely high quality radio control car chassis from Japan, and the best part is they have a wide selection of nostalgic car bodies! There are a few examples after the jump, but they also have old school faves like the AE86, hakosuka and kenmeri Skyline, FC RX-7, along with some new school ones you’d never think of like the Toyota Estima! Check out the ABC Hobby website for details. (more…)
The last time JNC reader Slappy put together a wallpaper with the coolest vintage JDM barrels it became a viral sensation on the intarwebs. Now he’s done it again with Rare Old School JDM Wheels Part Two. Click on the image above to get the wallpaper.
